IT

A few years ago the Met police spent a fortune upgrading the computer systems in all its custody suites... I say upgrading but what I really mean is introducing computers since they didn't seem to have any at all before.

I don't know what has happened - and nor it seems do the police engineers - but I understand that all of the custody suite computers have been out of action (certainly at every custody suite anyone at my firm has attended) for the last week. This is a big problem as most of the stations cannot tell who is due to answer bail to them and when they are due, which really means if you don't bother showing up then the police may not realise!

These computers are all very clever but this wouldn't have happened under the old pen and paper system... then again maybe I'm just getting old; my first interview at the police station was a all day handwritten record of interview job!

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I am a solicitor-advocate who specialises in motoring law with a particular interest in representing clients who have been charged with criminal driving offences involving alcohol, such as drink driving and failing to provide a specimen of breath.